First Pulmonary Hypertension Program in Region

Lorie Seimes, St. Luke’s pulmonary hypertension patient, walks regularly near her home in Zionsville.

Lorie Seimes had been experiencing severe breathlessness and fatigue on her daily walks, especially when she climbed up hills near her home in Zionsville. Frightened and frustrated, the 60-year-old woman went to a pulmonologist, then a cardiologist, who sent her to David Allen, DO, for an assessment, telling her, “He’ll know exactly what’s wrong.”

Dr. Allen is the medical director of the area’s first and only Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Program, which is a new service of St. Luke’s Heart & Vascular Center. The program provides patients with expert and personal diagnosis, treatment, education and support for this serious medical condition involving the heart and lungs.

Located in Bethlehem, St. Luke’s Pulmonary Hypertension Program comprises one of the most experienced, expert, sought after and respected teams of PH and board-certified heart failure specialists, nurses and nurse practitioners in the Northeast United States.

Dr. Allen diagnosed Seimes with idiopathic (unknown cause) pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension is a progressive, lifechanging condition in which the heart strains to pump blood to the lungs through narrowed or blocked arteries, causing arterial blood pressure to rise abnormally.

An estimated 25 million persons world-wide are living with pulmonary hypertension. If not treated early and accurately, this condition can worsen and cause the right side of the heart to work harder, become oversized and weakened and eventually to develop heart failure.

Dr. Allen prescribed a medicine for Seimes that immediately increased the blood flow to her lung arteries and improved her life-limiting symptoms. 

As PH is a progressive disease, Seimes recently experienced an increase in symptoms, which Dr. Allen was able to ameliorate with an additional PH medical therapy.

Now she says she’s much better. She’s walking regularly again and is grateful to Dr. Allen for his expertise and compassionate care. 

According to Dr. Allen, “We treat patients using the latest medicines, procedures and other therapies, and educate them on modern, effective medical and lifestyle knowledge as they adjust to living with this chronic illness.” 

“Dr. Allen saved my life,” said Seimes, a paraprofessional with the Upper Perkiomen School District. “I don’t know where I’d be without him. He really cares about his patients.”

The Pulmonary Hypertension Program Office is located at 1469 Eighth Ave., Bethlehem PA 18018. Its phone number is 484-526-7800.